What happens during rest? We grow. People in the health and fitness industry know this truth. Growth doesn’t happen while you’re at the gym. The improvements in the way your booty sits up nice and high isn’t going to occur while you’re doing lunges and squats. It happens during your rest period.
The same is true for your business. Not to mention, your life. Yeah, rest is vitally important. And, to be frank, we just don’t talk about it enough.
For me, this is a very difficult concept because, as I’ve shared, I grew up in a household where my dad – who is my idol – was a serial entrepreneur. Hence, I never saw a harvest season. I only saw create and grow, create and grow, create and grow!
You do as you see, right? Even if we don’t intend to pick up habits (good or bad) from our parents, we still just tend to do that. And my dad’s example of being an entrepreneur – doing everything all at once – was my school and what I, eventually, lived by.
Because of which, that limiting feeling was always creeping behind me. Never quite feeling that what I was doing was enough. And worse, at no time did I ever enjoy my success.
People would say, “Gosh, aren’t you proud?” or “Doesn’t that blow you away that you did that?” My response was an unemotional nod because I felt it was the polite thing to do. I might say, “I know. Yes, thank you.” But – I didn’t feel it.
My thinking was that if I were to slow down long enough to own a compliment, then I wouldn’t be creating & growing. And without round the clock productivity, I would have nothing. No more fruits because there would be no more labor.
And so I had this mindset of scarcity. Taking a moment to sit, relax, and soak in all the accomplishments… meant, for me, that we wouldn’t be able to eat.
Dangerous, huh? Yet, more common than you might realize.
If you relate, here’s how to make the transition to a healthier mindset:
Start comparing yourself to people who seem calm and don’t have that fear of missing out.
You must seek out these individuals. Those who can take a step back, rest, and turn it off. People who are really present. Model yourself after them. Watch their ways. Figure out what they’re doing. Do as they do.
You can learn to change your once destructive mindset. I did by following this strategy. But it takes drive and commitment.
My friends, listen, you can change your mindset by creating this new energy that involves surrounding yourself with people who get it.
This new plan of action is just a habit. And that’s what it ALL comes come down to, anyway. Our way of thinking / doing / prioritizing is a habit. So, the good news is, that means we have the ability to change it!
Your moments of rest, ideally, begin with gratitude and self-praise. Start small and work your way up!
One response to “Rest: Give Yourself Permission To Rest”
This is very good advice because it is true. We sometimes don’t know we can rest and enjoy. When we keep on trudging without rest we do not acknowledge our successes. Therefore, we don’t feel them and our energy cannot help them grow. If we don’t celebrate them we can also become easily discouraged because all we see is work.